The present invention relates to a method for recovering an authorization code, which was assigned to a licensee by a licensor, with the authorization code being stored in an access-protected data-processing device, which is connected to a computer of the licensor via an interface.
Application programs, software, and other electronic documents are often protected from unauthorized access. To use this electronic data and these programs, the user needs a license from the licensor. The licensee receives an authorization code, which enables him to exercise his license, from the licensor.
In the simplest case, the authorization code is sequence of alphanumeric characters, which is input manually by the licensee during the first use of the program or for each opening of a document. However, one disadvantage of this method is that the licensee can pass on the authorization code to unauthorized third parties, so that it can lead to undesired duplication of the authorization code and thus to misuse of the license.
Alternatively, the authorization code can be stored directly by the licensor in a data-processing device known as a dongle. The authorization code cannot be removed from the dongle; thus it cannot be duplicated. The execution of a computer program protected in this way is possible only if the dongle is connected to an interface of the computer on which the application program is to be executed. Because the dongle is created by the licensor, a separate dongle, which occupies the interface on the computer, is necessary for each application program. If the dongle is lost or destroyed, the licensor must be contacted in order to create a new dongle with the corresponding authorization code and send it to the licensee.
Electronic data-processing devices on which several authorization codes are stored for application programs or digital documents are also known. These devices are also connected to the interface of a computer. One example for such a data-processing device is the codemeter stick made by Wibu Systems AG. This is a mobile license stick, which is connected, for example, to the USB interface of a computer. The principle and operation of such a licensing device are described in EP 1 184 771 B1.
A licensee purchases an “empty” data-processing device. The licenses or “digital rights” can be written onto the data-processing device only by the originators or authorized licensors. The owner of the device can neither create nor write licenses or authorization codes of a licensor into the device by himself independently.
On the data-processing device, “digital rights” from several independent licensors can be stored for several different and independent products. These can also be, in addition to application programs and computer software, documents, music files, or films. The licenses can be of various types, for example, unrestricted in time, restricted in time, or restricted in use, so-called pay-per-use licenses or the like. As soon as the stick is inserted into the computer, the corresponding programs can query the authorization codes of the licenses and enable use or access.
The greater the number of authorization codes and digital rights stored in the device, the greater the value of the device. If a device in which many licenses or authorization codes for licenses are stored is lost or damaged, the restoration of the authorization codes is very labor-intensive. For each individual license, the corresponding licensor must be contacted; proof of the authorization and the purchase of the licenses must be provided and sent to the licensor. This is a complicated and long procedure. Often, it is not possible recover all of the authorization codes. For use-dependent licenses, which decrease with the frequency of use, the licensor is usually not ready to restore the license completely.